10 Years of Injustice: Remembering Abduction Archbishops of Aleppo and A Call for International Day for Prayer
On Saturday, 22 April 2023, the world will remember the 10th anniversary of the abduction of Archbishops Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi from Aleppo, Syria. The kidnapping occurred near the Turkish-Syrian border, in the northern province of Aleppo, and the fate of the two Archbishops remains unknown to this day.
VIDEO Reconstructed Aramean Community Center in Bartella in the Nineveh Plain, Iraq
After ISIS seized the largely Aramean Christian town of Bartella in Iraq's Nineveh Plain in August 2014, it used this building for training purposes. After the reconquest, in November 2019 WCA partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support the reconstruction of this heavily damaged building. This video briefly shows the success of this project.
9th Anniversary of the Abduction of the Metropolitans of Aleppo
Nine years ago today, two Aramean Archbishops of Aleppo were kidnapped by armed rebels in Syria near the Turkish border. Join us in remembering and honoring our religious leaders, while praying and working for their safe return.
Earthquake Victim Fikri Töre from Turabdin in Adiyaman: Türkiye’s First Aramean Tour Guide
On 6 February 2023, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Türkiye and Syria, causing tens of thousands of dead victims. After a long and desperate search, Fikri Töre (27) from Midin, a beloved WCA Representative in the Turabdin region in Southeast Türkiye, was finally found lifeless on Wednesday night under the debris of the Isias hotel in Adiyaman.
Celebrating Aram Day on 1 October 2022
We call upon Arameans worldwide to celebrate Aram Day come 1 October 2022. On that evening, WCA, its Federations of Germany and The Netherlands, and our Aramaic-speaking satellite channel Suryoyo Sat will be hosting an exclusive event for 100 Arameans that will be broadcast LIVE from the studio in Gütersloh, Germany.
Arameans honor their King Abgar V who wrote with Jesus in Aramaic
Today, Arameans honor Abgar V as the first King, and his small Aramean Kingdom as the first state, in the world who adopted Christianity! Fascinating traditions from the 4th and 5th centuries recorded that Abgar had exchanged letters with Jesus “in Aramaic” and this correspondence had been stored in the city archives of Edessa.
Today’s commemoration is because on this day Arameans have reached half of the Great Fast, which occurs on the first Wednesday of the Fourth Sunday of the Great Lent of 40 days. The apostle Addai (Greek: Thaddaeus), one of the 72 disciples from Luke 10:1, was sent by Apostle Thomas from Jerusalem to Edessa to heal King Abgar from his disease, and thus he and a substantial part of the Aramean population in and beyond his kingdom embraced Christianity.
King Abgar V “the Dark-skinned” Hmishoyo Ukomoܐܒܓܪ ܚܡܝܫܝܐ ܐܘܟܡܐ. was the most famous member of the dynasty that ruled from 132 BC - 242 AD the kingdom of Osrhoene from its capital Edessa (today's Şanlıurfa). Its realm encompassed parts of Southeast Türkiye and Northeast Syria. To a certain extent, it remained a sovereign buffer state between the Roman and Parthian empires who were frequently in conflict with each from 54 BC until 217 AD.
From the fifth century onward until today, our church fathers hailed Abgar. For example, the West Aramean Jacob of Serugh (451-521) lauded Edessa as “the daughter of the Arameans” (Bath-Oromoye) and her King Abgar as “the son of the Arameans” (Bar-Oromoye). This was true until the 13th century and later, as shown from this excerpted text written by an East Aramean Metropolitan of South Iraq, Shlemon, who praised him as “Abgar the Aramean king of Mesopotamia” (malko Oromoyo d-Beth-Nahrin).
Fikri Töre from Midin is Still Missing After the Earthquake in Adiyaman: This is the Story
This Sunday night, Fikri Töre (27) from Midin in the Turabdin region stayed at the Isias hotel in Adiyaman that collapsed because of the earthquake. In the morning, his family and friends drove to Adiyaman and are still desperately searching one hospital after another in the region. The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) (“WCA”), with whom Fikri works, has been in close contact with them and until last night and today we requested help from officials in Ankara to locate and find him, but nobody has found him yet.
YPG-YPJ Kurds Kidnap Young Aramean Woman In Northeast Syria: Terrorization Of Christians
On Sunday, 3 July 2022, the female YPJ Kurds kidnapped a young Aramean woman, Rasha Chamoun, in broad daylight in northeast Syria’s Malikiyah (Kurdish: Derik) – last year, their male counterpart abducted an Aramean in this town. Seven days of efforts to resolve the matter diplomatically were all futile. Despite repeated promises from Mazloum Abdi’s office, the military leader of the Western-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Rasha still has not been released and her family has not been allowed to visit or speak with her.
WCA attends signature ceremoney UNESCO World Heritage in Midyat, Southeast Tuerkiye
On 14 February 2022, WCA attended the signature ceremony of the UNESCO World Heritage Nomination File Preparation co-operation protocol between the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Midyat Municipality in Midyat, Southeast Türkiye.
